Ironing accessory



Nov. 2, 1965 e. D. WEBSTER 3,214,851

IRONING ACCESSORY Filed Jan. 24, 1964 INVENTOR.

' GEORGIA D WEBST BY 4 I A TOR United States Patent OfiFice 3,214,851Patented Nov. 2, 1965 3,214,851 IRONING ACCESSQRY Georgia D. Webster,844 Piedmont Ave. SE, Atlanta, Ga. Filed Jan. 24, 1964, Ser. No. 340,1003 Claims. (Cl. 38141) This invention relates to an ironing accessory andmore particularly to a stand including an extension cord for connectingan electric iron with a current source, and means for supporting ironedmaterials, such as garments and the like.

Accessories of this general type which heretofore have been availablehave been adapted for attachment on one end of an ironing board, and asa result, it has been necessary to attach and remove the device to theironing board each time that the board is placed in use. This attachmentand removal not only has been a time consuming nuisance, but it has alsooccasioned considerable wear on the ironing board cover. Moreover, thesedevices support the cord at a level only slightly above that of theironing board so that during the ironing operation, the cord wouldfrequently rub along the board and engage the ironed material and causewrinkles therein. Finally, the operator would have to provide entirelyindependent means for supporting material after it was ironed.

Having in mind the defects of the prior art apparatus, it is the primaryobject of the present invention to provide an ironing accessory of theaforementioned type which is supported independently of the ironingboard and supports the extension cord at an elevation above the ironingboard so that it cannot possibly contact the material on the board.

It is another object of this invention to provide an ironing cordextension unit including a vertically adjustable upright stand adaptedto dispose the extension cord at a desired elevation, and to enableswiveling movement of the cord so that the stand may be disposed in anydesired elevation and in any position relative to the ironing board,that is adjacent one end or along one side thereof.

It is another object of the invention to provide an iron ing accessoryincluding an upright stand supported independently of an ironing boardand including an extensible and retractable electric conductor forconnecting an electric iron with a power source and also including meansfor supporting material after the material has been ironed.

It is still another object of the invention to provide an ironingaccessory of the aforementioned type having simplicity of design,economy of construction and efficiency in operation.

The novel features that are considered characteristic of the inventionare set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The inventionitself, however, both as to its organization and its method ofoperation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, willbest be understood from the following description of a specificembodiment when read in connection with the accompanying drawing,wherein like reference characters indicate like parts throughout theseveral figures and in which:

FIG. 1 is a view in elevation of an ironing accessory in accordance withthe present invention, and shown in operative position in relation to anironing board and an electric iron;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary view similar to that in FIG. 1, but showing onlyone end of the electric conductor support during operation of the iron;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged, fragmentary, cross-sectional view taken on line44 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 55 of FIG. 4, and

FIG. 6 is an enlarged, cross-sectional view taken on line 66 of FIG. 5.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing, specifically to FIG. 1,an ironing accessory in accordance with the present invention comprisesan upright stand 10 including a floor supported base 12 and a verticallydisposed support 14 including a lower tubular portion 16 and an upperrodlike portion 18 slidably mounted within the tubular portion 16. Aswivel connection 20 is mounted on the upper end portion of the uppersupport portion 18 for pivotal movement about a vertical axis and thisswivel connection 20 in turn supports an extensible and retractableelectric connector unit 22 for connection with an electric iron.

A horizontally extending arm 24 is mounted at the upper end of the uppersupport portion 18 for supporting ironed material. Preferably, a coilspring 26 is disposed within the lower support portion 16, and urges theupper support portion 18 upwardly to counterbalance the weight thereofto facilitate vertical adjustment of the support 14. A set screw, orother suitable securing means 28 may be provided for rigidly securingthe upper portion 18 in selected relation to the lower support portion16 so as to dispose the connector unit 22 and arm 24 at the desiredelevation.

The swivel connection 20 is best shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, and maycomprise a socket member 30' secured on the upper end of the uppersupport portion 18. Conveniently, this socket member 30 may be mountedby means of a stud element 32 inserted within the upper end of thesupport portion 18 and secured by a screw 34. The socket member 30 has avertically disposed bore 36 opening through the upper end thereof forpivotally receiving the stem 38 of a swivel element 49. The stem 38preferably has an annular groove 42 into which is projected a pin 44protruding from a screw 46 threaded radially into the socket 30 toretain the stem 38 in the bore 36, but permit pivoting thereof.

The swivel element includes an angularly disposed neck 48 having acylindrical portion 50 at the upper end thereof and preferably overwhich is fitted a tubular cover 52 which may be curved or gooseneck inconfiguration, and may be of either rigid or flexible construction asdesired. The cylindrical portion 50 is provided with a coarse threadlikegroove 54 for threadedly receiving and supporting one end of a coilspring 56 which extends through the cover 52. An electric conductor 58having a standard connector 60 for cooperation with a household outletextends into the tubular cover 52 through an aperture 62.

The conductor 58 is coiled to coincide with the convolutions of thespring 56, and preferably the spring and the conductor 58 are securedtogether by a sheath 64 throughout their lengths within the cover tube52 to form a unitary extensible and retractable electric conductor 65. Astandard connector outlet 66, FIGS. 1-3, is electrically connected withthe conductor 58 at the other end of the extensible-retractableconductor 65, and is normally retracted against the free end of thecover tube 52. Obviously, if desired, the cover tube 52 can be omittedso that the spring 56 constitutes the sole support for the conductor 58,but the cover tube 52 is preferred so that the stress on the spring willbe limited substantially to expansion and contraction.

In use and operation, the stand 10 may be disposed at any convenientlocation relative to an ironing board B, either adjacent one endthereof, as shown in FIG. 3, or adjacent one side of the board oppositethe operator. The support may then be extended or elevated by raisingthe upper support element 18 to the desired level and securing it by thescrew 28, or other suitable clamping means.

J The connector 60 may be attached to a standard household outlet, orthe like, and the connector C of the usual electric cord E extendingfrom an iron I coupled with the outlet connector 66.

While ironing, the cord E and extensible conductor 65 are disposed byconnector unit 22 well above the ironing board so as not to interferewith the ironing operation, and freedom of movement is assured both bythe expansion and contraction of the extensible conductor 65, as shownin FIG. 2, and/or the swiveling of the connector unit 22 by means of theswivel connection 20. The curvature of the cover 52 permits readyexpansion and contraction of the conductor portion 65, and the free endof the cover is disposed at an incline approximating that of theconductor to the iron and avoids any sharp bending thereof. The sheath64 protects the conductor from frictional engagement with the cover 52as it extends and contracts.

When not in actual operation, the iron may be rested on the usualinsulated stand S on one end of the ironing board or disposed on one endas is usual with some electric irons. As materials are ironed, they maybe suspended from the arm 24 so that they are retained in a neat,unrufiled condition and not in contact with walls or the like from whichthey may become slightly soiled. If the material being ironed is in theform of flat Work, such work may be folded in the usual manner anddraped over the arm 24; or if in the form of garments, they may beplaced on hangers which may be suspended from the arm 24. l

Upon completion of an ironing operation, the connection C for the ironmay be disconnected from the outlet 66 and the support 14 collapsed byreleasing the screw 28 and depressing the upper support portion 18 sothat the stand will occupy relatively small space and may be placed in acloset or the like, for example in the usual ironing'board closet alongwith the ironing board. It thus becomes evident that the presentinvention provides a highly useful ironing accessory that is easilyplaced into and removed from operation, and greatly eases andfacilitates the ironing operation.

Although a certain specific embodiment of the invention has been shownand described, it is obvious that many modifications thereof arepossible. The invention,

therefore, is not to be restricted except insofar as is nece's-' sitatedby the prior art and by the spirit of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. An accessory for use with an ironing board and an iron having anelectrical cord attached thereto; said accessory comprising a verticallyadjustable floor supported upright having an upper end, means releasablysecuring said upright in adjusted positions with the upper end disposedabove the ironing surface of an ironing board, a swivel joint attachedto said upper end for free movement about an .axs coaxial with thevertical axis of the upright, said swivel joint including a neck portioncomprising upper and lower segments forming an obtuse angle, a curvedcoil spring having opposing inner and outer ends, the inner end of thespring being attached to the upper segment, and an electrical conductorassociated with and carried by the spring and having a connection meansat the outer end of the spring for attachment to the cord of an ironwith said outer end of the spring selectively overlying any part of theironing surface of an ironing board, said conductor and said springuniting at a point adjacent but beyond said upper segment.

2. The combination of claim 1, wherein a tubular cover encloses the coilspring and is provided With a radial aperture for the passagetherethrough of the electrical conductor.

3. The combination of claim 1, wherein the upper seg ment has .acylindrical free end portion formed with annular grooves and the innerend of the spring is coiled on said free end portion and fitted in thegrooves with the grooves being of a depth to receive completely thespring.

References Qited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,329,173 1/20Goldthwaite 248-51 1,730,945 10/29 Poole 248-51 -1,796,384 3/31 McElroy248161 2,472,244 6/49 Brady 3 8-107 2,795,641 6/57 Rowell 174-692,896,347 7/59 Hortman.

FOREIGN PATENTS 8 62,295 1/53 Germany. 383,697 11/32 Great Britain.434,859 9/35 Great Britain.

JORDAN FRANKLIN, Primary Examiner.

1. AN ACCESSORY FOR USE WITH AN IRONING BOARD AND AN IRON HAVING ANELECTRICAL CORD ATTACHED THERETO; SAID ACCESSORY COMPRISING A VERTICALLYADJUSTABLE FLOOR SUPPORTED UPRIGHT HAVING AN UPPER END, MEANS RELEASABLYSECURING SAID UPRIGHT IN ADJUSTED POSITIONS WITH THE UPPER END DISPOSEDABOVE THE IRONING SURFACE OF AN IRONING BOARD, A SWIVEL JOINT ATTACHEDTO SAID UPPER END FOR FREE MOVEMENT ABOUT AN AXS COAXIAL WITH THEVERTICAL AXIS OF THE UPRIGHT, SAID SWIVEL JOINT INCLUDING A NECK PORTIONCOMPRISING UPPER AND LOWER SEGMENTS FORMING AN OBTUSE ANGLE, A CURVEDCOIL SPRING HAVING OPPOSING INNER AND OUTER ENDS, THE INNER END OF THESPRING BEING ATTACHED TO THE UPPER SEGMENT, AND AN ELECTRICAL CONDUCTORASSOCIATED WITH AND CARRIED BY THE SPRING AND HAVING A CONNECTION MEANSAT THE OUTER END OF THE SPRING FOR ATTACHMENT TO THE CORD OF AN IRONWITH SAID OUTER END OF THE SPRING SELECTIVELY OVERLYING ANY PART OF THEIRONING SURFACE OF AN IRONING BOARD, SAID CONDUCTOR AND SAID SPRINGUNITING AT A POINT ADJACENT BUT BEYOND SAID UPPER SEGMENT.